Wheaton-area woman slain

a relative is held

A 24-year-old man with a history of domestic violence and psychological treatment was being questioned by DuPage County authorities Friday in the stabbing death of a relative late Thursday at her home near Wheaton.

DuPage County Sheriff John Zaruba called the man a suspect in the fatal stabbing of Marilyn Newcomer, 55. Police did not expect charges to be filed Friday. Sheriff's officers detained the man about 2 p.m. Friday outside Newcomer's home in the 0N100 block of Evans Avenue in unincorporated Milton Township.

Newcomer, a mother of four sons, was found dead on the first floor of her home by her husband, David, when he returned home from work about 11:42 p.m. Thursday, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.

Authorities are calling the killing "an isolated incident, possibly domestic-related." In a release early Friday, they noted that the suspect, a College of DuPage student, "has been under psychological care and is considered suicidal. Prior to apprehending the man, authorities considered him to be armed and dangerous.

"It's very early and we're just glad to have him safe, given his medical condition, and to have the ability to discuss with him what happened," said Mark Edwalds, commander of criminal investigations in the DuPage County sheriff's office. The man was "somewhat cooperative" when officers removed him from his car after he pulled into the driveway of the Newcomer home. Edwald declined to say whether the man was armed.

"We know he was prescribed medication," Edwald said. "We don't know what the specifics of the diagnoses are."

In September 2000, the man was charged with domestic battery for pushing Marilyn Newcomer, DuPage County court records show. In April 2001, prosecutors dropped the charges after she failed to appear in court, according to records.

Court documents also show the man was arrested again in May 2001 and charged with several counts of domestic battery, bodily harm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest. Authorities alleged he was armed with an ax and attacked Newcomer, one of her sons and another woman.

He pleaded guilty in April 2002 to resisting arrest and was sentenced to one year of supervision and 40 hours of public service. Court documents show he served none of his public service.

Records also show he received 16 traffic citations since 1998, including a charge of driving under the influence of cannabis in November 2001 in Roselle. Those charges were dropped in August 2003 after the arresting officer failed to attend a court hearing. The suspect had failed to attend at least four prior hearings, court records show.